>> New York Film Festival Lineup Set; Wong, Ruiz, Schnabel, Egoyan, Kitano, Davies and Others on Tap for 38th Festival

(indieWIRE/ 8.15.00) — The Film Society of Lincoln Center will unveil today(Tuesday) an impressive roster of international filmmakers who have beeninvited to screen new works at the 2000 New York Film Festival.

The previously announced opener, on September 22nd, is Lars Von Trier‘sCannes Palme d’Or winner “Dancer in the Dark,” starring Icelandic popstarBjork, while Ang Lee‘s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” featuring Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh, closes the event on October 9th. Ed Harris‘ “Pollock,” starring Harris as the acclaimed artist Jackson Pollock, has been added as the Festival’s Centerpiece film. The film is debuting at the Venice Film Festival.

A small number of entries from the United States are set to screen atLincoln Center this year. Julian Schnabel‘s “Before Night Falls,” which isdebuting in Venice, will be joined by the only other U.S. entry, DavidGordon Green‘s “George Washington.” The acclaimed indie debuted in Berlinand later screened at the LAIFF and a number of regional festivals. CowboyBooking will release “Washington” this fall. Rounding out the North Americanentries is Atom Egoyan‘s 63-minute “Krapp’s Last Tape,” a part of the“Beckett on Film” series which is screening in Venice. Neil Jordan‘s short“Not I,” also a part of the series, will precede the Egoyan film.

French entries at the 2000 New York Festival include an acclaimed group ofdirectors. Agnes Varda‘s DV movie “The Gleaners and I,” well received inCannes, will screen, as well as Raoul Ruiz‘ “The Comedy of Innocence,” setto debut in Venice. Also from France is well-known actress and screenwriterAgnes Jaoui‘s “The Taste of Others,” which opened in France earlier thisyear. Co-productions include the late John Berry‘s “Boesman and Lena“(France/South Africa), starring Angela Bassett and Danny Glover, and Amos Gitai‘s “Kippur” (Israel/France). Kino International will release both films domestically.

Only two other European entries made the cut, Terence Davies‘ “The House ofMirth” (UK) and Liv Ullmann‘s “Faithless,” a Cannes premiere that will be released by Samuel Goldwyn in early 2001.

Representing Iran are Jafar Panahi‘s “Circle” and Bahman Farmanara‘s “Smell of Camphor, Fragrance of Jasmine.” Panahi is best known for his acclaimed 1996 film, “The White Balloon.”